The Mindanao State University was officially created by law, by virtue of Republic Act 1387 (as amended). It is the first state university in the southern part of the Philippines, in Mindanao, and second to the University of the Philippines being the first and premiere state sponsored institution of higher education in the country. The MSU was formally established on September 1, 1961 in Marawi City, the capital of Lanao del Sur, which was prominently claimed to be the heart of Morolandia owning to the city being the site of the reference point of all roads in Mindanao.
Today, MSU has various units in strategic areas which cut across the Mindanao regions. From a one campus university in Marawi City. MSU has grown to a multi-campus university of eight autonomous campuses, which include: MSU-Main in Marawi City, MSU-IIT in Iligan City, MSU-TCTO in Tawi-Tawi, MSU-Naawan in Misamis Oriental, MSU-Maguindanao, MSU-General Santos, MSU-Sulu in Jolo and MSU Buug in Zamboanga Sibugay.
In addition, three (3) former CHED- Supervised Institutions (CSIS) of higher learning are now considered integrated campuses into the MSU System, namely: Lanao National College of Arts and Trade (LNCAT), Lanao Norte Agricultural College (LNAC) and Maigo School of Arts and Trade (MSAT).